The present invention is directed to the construction industry. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a nail removal tool in the form of an adapter securable to a rotary power tool, such as a rotary pneumatic impact drive motor.
When re-roofing, one of the most difficult, time-consuming tasks is removing the nails used to secure the old shingles. If these nails are not removed, they can tear through the new shingles and interfere with their proper installation and functionality. In addition, they pose a safety hazard to the installers as they move about the roof. It is among the objects of the present invention to provide an effective, yet inexpensive, adapter to remove the old nails.
In Applicant's earlier disclosure, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,341,818 issued Jan. 1, 2013, a coil spring was utilized to accommodate the force applied by the tool so as not to rip the head off the nail nor damage the drive. It was found that the “slop” in the interconnections in the adapter is adequate to accomplish a complete removal of the nail without damaging the drive.
The adapter for a rotary power tool for removing nails of the present invention comprises a) a drive shaft engagable with a chuck of the rotary power tool, the drive shaft having a diametrically extending drive blade; b) a cylindrical bit having a diametrically extending recess which receives the drive blade of the drive shaft, the cylindrical bit having a foot with a slot for receiving a body portion of a nail, the foot having a ramp extending on at least one side of the slot for engaging beneath a head of the nail; c) flexible connection means attached between the drive shaft and the cylindrical bit permitting the cylindrical bit to float relative to the drive shaft.
More preferably, the ramp extending on at least one side of the slot for engaging beneath a head of the nail extends on both sides of the slot. The flexible connection means comprises slop between the drive and the cylindrical bit created by the recess having a larger thickness than the drive blade. The drive blade has a hole therethrough; the cylindrical bit has a pair of aligned holes; and a pin extends through the pair of aligned holes and the hole in the drive blade to secure the cylindrical bit to the drive blade. The distal end of the pin has a hole therethrough that receives a cotter pin. The upper central rotational axis of the cylindrical bit is radially offset from rotational axis of the foot.
Various other features, advantages, and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent after a reading of the following detailed description.